The Annual Idaho Prevention & Support Conference is a gathering focused on innovation, best practices, collective problem-solving, and motivation to most effectively address youth risk behaviors, foster optimal health, and support academic success for Idaho students.

Registration will open February 8, 2019
Conference Registration is $180.00 before April 1, 2019, and increases to $220.00 after.
Only credit card payments will be accepted this year.
Onsite registration will not be available.

Students
This conference is designed for an adult audience. Students attending must pay a full conference rate. There is no student rate or discount.

Note: The promoters and sponsors of this conference assume no responsibility for the comments expressed by speakers or presenters, nor do they accept responsibility for the content or reprinting of any materials used or handed out during the meetings. Experiential learning situations are for training purposes only. They are not intended to be therapeutic or part of any ongoing therapy process.

Lodging is available at the Sun Valley Resort and can accommodate all conference participants. View the Sun Valley website for more information about Sun Valley housing, including room rates. Due to the high demand to attend the Conference, Sun Valley Resort has sold out of individual sleeping rooms. Attendees are encouraged to work with other colleagues attending the event and reserve a condominium.

Additional rooms are available at the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum for a special conference rate. To reserve rooms call 877-724-5010 or email ketchumreservations@limelighthotels.comand refer to the Idaho Prevention & Support Conference.

The City of Ketchum offers a variety of other lodging options within a short drive to the Conference location.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 - PRE-CONFERNCE MEETINGS

Time

Description

8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

A variety of pre-conference meetings will be taking place. For a full list see the Pre-Conference section of the website.

Sam JingforsThe Current State of Affairs in Social Media: A Safe Schools Perspective

This keynote will provide the most current information on how social media is being used and misused by our youth. The 'always-on' mentality of technology integration into our lives has taken our society by storm. We will discuss this cultural paradigm shift and the less often thought about ramifications in terms of dependency and impact on our emotional well-being. There are several youth culture phenomenon that will be discussed that are both enhancing the lives of young people with access to unlimited information like never before and consequently also creating conflict, breeding online hate, lowering levels of empathy and severely impacting mental health.

Biography
Sam is the Vice President of Safer Schools Together (SST) and delivers safe school related training throughout the organization. He manages the fast-paced Safer Schools Together Social Media Team and is the lead developer and trainer of the “Digital Threat Assessment” Training day that has been delivered across North America. Sam comes from a background in the study of criminal behavior and has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Simon Fraser University.

Working for the organization since 2011, Sam has been a driving force in the operations of Safer Schools Together. As a supplement to Threat Assessment files and Trauma Response work, Sam collects open source intelligence and social media data for high-profile school related files both in Canada and the United States. He is frequently being called by School Superintendents and Directors of Student Safety to consult on his knowledge of social media. He has presented to tens of thousands of students, parents, school staff, police officers and community partners throughout his career.

His love for this field of work jumpstarted in 2006 when, while living overseas, he secured an internship with the International Law Enforcement Agency (ILEA) and received training from the FBI. Prior to his work with SST, Sam spent over five years working on the front line of the province’s largest school district in their Safe Schools Department responding to emergent safety and security issues around the entire district. He also worked as an outreach worker for youth at-risk of gang involvement with the federally funded Surrey WRAP program

Sam also spent a number of months in a field practice setting with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – Gang Task Force as they fulfilled their mandate of preventing, suppressing and intervening on criminal gang and organized crime activity. Sam maintains to this a day a Reliability RCMP security clearance. Along with a Sergeant of the Gang Unit, Sam coauthored a research article on Gang homicides in British Columbia from 2003-2013 that was published in the Journal of Gang Research.

Patrick Gray & Justin Skeesuck

Patrick had a little trouble figuring out what he wanted to be when he grew up. He spent time as a construction worker, a biologist, and a high school teacher. Eventually landing on a career in healthcare, Patrick spent many years as a bedside nurse and a health care administrator. Throughout his winding career, Patrick has always been a lover of people. His life experiences have solidified his belief that who we are on a day-to-day basis is the greatest testament to what we believe. A husband and father of three children, Patrick’s life is filled with joy. His recent journey across Spain with best friend Justin Skeesuck opened his eyes to a whole new world of people hungry for hope and purpose. This story, known as I’ll Push You, has opened many doors for both Patrick and Justin to share their unapologetic thoughts on community and leadership. Leaving healthcare behind, Patrick has fueled his lifelong passion of writing with the publication of several books. He also enjoys public speaking with Justin, where they challenge others to live their lives more fully regardless of the limitations they might face.

Patrick is the co-author of the book I’ll Push You (June 2017), co-subject of the documentary I’ll Push You (Summer, 2017), and author of The Push: A Story of Friendship (Spring, 2018). Patrick lives in Eagle, Idaho with his wife, Donna, and their three children Cambria, Joshua, and Olivia.

Justin Skeesuck enjoyed a prolific career as a graphic designer until a progressive neuromuscular disease finally robbed him of the use of his arms and legs. Never one to dwell on the struggles of life, Justin has pursued adventure despite living life in a wheelchair. His world travels with his wife and children have done nothing but fuel his desire to experience other cultures and embrace the beauty that exists in humanity. When Justin learned of the ancient pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, he knew he had to attempt the 500-mile journey across Spain, but knew he couldn’t do it alone. When Justin asked his best friend, Patrick Gray, his thoughts about the journey, the story of I’ll Push You came to life. Leaving graphic design behind, Justin now speaks and writes words of hope, alongside Patrick.

Together, they share their stories of their struggles in life, and challenge people around the world to look at their limitations differently… as something to overcome.

Justin is the co-author of the book I’ll Push You (June 2017), and co-subject of the documentary I’ll Push You (Summer, 2017).

Justin lives in Eagle, Idaho with his wife Kirstin and their three children Jaden, Noah, and Lauren.

The conference sessions will address promising practices related to: working with at-promise students; including student voice in co-creating a positive school climate; telling the story of the school and student; meeting the unique student needs; implementing early warning systems; dropout prevention programs; creating safe and secure schools; educating families and communities members about school safety topics; and improving the social and emotional wellness of Idaho students.

Those who cancel their conference registration online at least thirty days prior to April 1, 2019, will receive their registration fee refunded, minus a $60 processing fee. Those who cancel less than 30 days before April 1, 2019, will forfeit the entire conference registration fee.

Sun Valley is a complete walking village where automobiles are unnecessary. If you bring a car, parking is free. Complimentary bus services are available between the condominium units and the village. Ketchum Area Rapid Transit (KART) provides free transportation throughout the Wood River Valley, including continuous round-trips from the Village to both Dollar and Bald Mountains. Rental cars are available. Cars rented from Avis, Hertz, and Budget may be picked up and dropped off at Friedman Memorial Airport. Cars rented from U-Save, Thrifty, and Practical can be picked up and dropped off in Sun Valley.

In consideration of conference attendees, we request that if you choose to bring infants and/or children to Sun Valley, then do not bring them to keynote addresses and/or conference sessions. Please make your own childcare arrangements for the time you are in sessions.

Contact Details

Sponsors

About SDE

The Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) is a government agency supporting schools and students. We are responsible for implementing policies, distributing funds, administering statewide assessments, licensing educators, and …